Q: Can an anesthesia cart containing medication be left unlocked in an OR suite between cases?
A: If the individual operating room is part of a larger OR unit that is manned at all times in a fashion which monitors access to the operating room and assures constant surveillance of the anesthesia cart to prohibit access by unauthorized individuals - locking of the cart between cases would not be required.
After hours when the OR unit is not manned in a like manner, the carts must be properly secured. Whether the carts are locked or unlocked, they must be stored in a secured area which prohibits access and tampering by unauthorized individuals (e.g., in a separate locked room or in the secured OR unit where unauthorized access is prohibited.)